AUBURN, Alabama -- C.J. Uzomah only got a brief appearance as Auburn's lead tight end last season before breaking a bone in his right hand.

But Uzomah apparently showed enough potential to earn some early award recognition heading into his junior year.

Uzomah has been named to the Mackey Award's preseason watch list, the award annually given to the nation's top tight end at the Home Depot College Football Awards show on Dec. 12.

Named as one of five tight ends among 37 early watch list participants, the Mackey Award selection committee will narrow its list to a midseason list on Oct. 14, then to eight semifinalists on Nov. 18 and finally three finalists on Nov. 25.

Uzomah, a 6-foot-4, 253-pound junior, will likely be sharing time with fellow junior Brandon Fulse at tight end in Gus Malzahn's hurry-up, no-huddle offense, a scheme that allows the tight end to play as a base tight end, an H-back and a slot receiver.

Inserted into the starting lineup after Philip Lutzenkirchen's season-ending injury last fall, Uzomah caught seven passes for 136 yards and a touchdown, flashing some of the athleticism that could make him a dangerous weapon in 2013.